Hello Nurse!
by Midnight Wolfy
Summary: "It's a hawk." "Yeah, I love hawks." A young nurse finds an injured man and takes him in, but he is more the what he seems. ::Hawkeye/CO::Begins Pre-Avengers and continues through and after the movie::
1. Prologue

**Okay this was something that popped into my head after having a Marvel marathon. Updates will hopefully come in a timely fashion but no ****promises. Life happens. Especially will college and all my classes. **

**This is my first multi-chapter fic and I have most of it planned out. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Avengers.**

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Prologue

It was a clear warm summer night, the full moon floating lazily in the sky. The street lamps, interrupting the stunning blue-black darkness at set intervals, casting eerie shadows on the sidewalk. A dark shape fleetingly disrupting the illuminations as it swiftly moved through the night. Dark blots of thick blood, were left behind almost carelessly, a sickening contrast to the cool gray pavement.

The figure paused suddenly, his movement jerky, as he scanned his environment suspiciously. The suburban street was quiet, even the house pets, lazy in their contentment, oblivious to the injured man's presence. Satisfied, he moved on turning into the park at the end of the street.

The park lights were off, the trees and shrubs offered more cover than he'd had thus far. He glanced around, again, paranoid with good reason, he chose a small grove between two juniper trees that had been planted near the north wall of the park for added privacy. The trees were close together and the grove was almost invisible in the darkness. The ground was soft and dry clear of any debris by many visits from children clever enough to find it.

The figure relaxed, fractionally, this was just the place he would have loved as a child. Sighing he checked his wound. It was still bleeding but not as much as before. It could wait for treatment but not too much longer. He shook his head, it was throbbing making it hard to concentrate and his vision blurry. He couldn't stay here long.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter one all done for you. A little longer than the prologue. Enjoy.**

**Kara's last name is pronounced (All-Wen).**

**Disclaimer: See prologue.**

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Chapter One

Kara Ajani Jaycee Aalwijn was having a bad night. It was one of the worst nights of her life and she had had some doozies. She just couldn't believe… Jess. She shook her head, she would not think about that. It was too soon. What she needed was to concentrate on driving.

Breathe, Kara. Just breathe.

She pulled into her driveway, turned off her car, and screamed through clenched teeth. Her hands gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles were white.

Breathe.

Kara knew at once that she could not stay at home. Not after tonight. She was too emotionally exhausted. Keys and bag in hand, she stepped to the front door. She tried and failed to put the key in the lock. Her hands were shaking.

Breathe, Kara. Breathe.

She tried again, steadying her hands. She got it. Opening the door, she was greeted with a happy bark and a tail wag. Kara gave T a weak smile and a pat on the head. She glanced around. T looked at her with concerned brown eyes and a frown on his spotted face. The Great Dane was distressed. He knew something was off about his master's mood but did not understand.

Kara placed her bag on the couch and sighed. She did not want to be home. With a glance at T, she moved to a nearby drawer and took out a leash. T perked up but approached Kara slowly still not quite comprehending his masters mood but happy to be going out.

"Come on, boy, leash up," Kara's voice sounded weak and broken even to her own ears. She cleared her throat. With a wag of his whip like tail, T pressed close to his master. The top of his big head coming up to just under her shoulder. Kara snapped the leash to T's collar and led him out the door.

The night air was crisp in the early hour and cooled Kara's heated skin. Her mind cleared. Walking T was normal, comforting. T was well trained and patient. He lumbered behind Kara with a steady soft padded gait, his nose twitching with nighttime smells. His leash hung loosely almost dragging on the floor, Kara barely gripping the loop. She was confident in her companion's temperament. He was loyal. The leash used not as a restraint but to communicate, to connect master and dog on a physical level blurring the barrier between human and beast. Totally in tune with one another, Kara and T were partners. Feeling the connection between the two soothed the nurse's aching soul.

Rounding the corner, Kara was snapped out of her reprieve by T. The leash, pulled taunt, had almost slipped from her hand. Shocked, she glanced at the Great Dane. T had his spotted nose to the ground, his loud snuffling noise emphasizing his interest.

"What is it, T?" Kara asked, mostly to herself, as she crouched down to see what caught the Harlequin dog's interest. Inspecting the ground she noticed dark spots scattered on the pavement.

Moving the Dane's head back with a soft hand and a quick command, Kara looked closer. Squinting in the dull light of the street lamp, she gasped. Blood. Droplets of blood. Surprised, Kara gazed down the sidewalk and noticed a blotchy trail in the semi-darkness. She stood and moved to inspect the droplets that were under the next street lamp.

Glad that she had not bothered to change from her scrubs, the pockets always collected random medical paraphernalia throughout her shift, she slipped on a vinyl glove and touched the drops. They smudged and clung to her glove. The blood was not completely dry. Determined, Kara followed the trail down the block. T followed, his nose to the ground tail wagging, tracking games were fun!

The blood trail put a damper on Kara's already strained spirit. She knew it was dangerous but if there was a stray dog, hurt, scared, alone she was determined to save it. This wouldn't be the first time she took in a stray. She had been rescuing animals since she was a child. She knew how to approach a frightened animal and she was not afraid of being bitten.

Reaching the park, Kara peered into the darkness warily. The dog could be hiding anywhere. Taking out her pen light she tried to find the blood trail on the grass. Frustrated with the narrow beam of the miniature flashlight she stepped into the grass foregoing the blood trail. She had a few ideas about where a frightened animal would hide and she resigned to check them all.

The closest was a small juniper grove that was a popular hiding spot for the local children to play hide-n-seek. She was sure that she would have loved to play in this particular spot as a child. Approaching the junipers, T following close behind, Kara separated the branches and gasped. Going shock still, her gaze met the pained eyes of a figure half crouched in defense. A figure that was definitely _not_ a stray dog.

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**Hope you like it so far. This is why you don't go looking for strays in the middle of the night. Which I _have_ done but I wasn't alone. Please review and let me know what you think! :D**


	3. Chapter Two

**Here is chapter two. Hope you enjoy it. The next few chapters won't come nearly as fast as this one but they should be worth the wait.**

**Disclaimer: Refer to Prologue.**

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Chapter Two

Kara's pulse quickened in shock. Out of all the possibilities, she had not expected this. Pushing through her fear, her nurse's instinct steadied her mind and she assessed the situation. There was a man bleeding in front of her, she could not just leave him to die without, at least, trying to help him. Her eyes ran over his form trying to pinpoint the source of the bleeding.

She could feel his eyes on her, a heavy untrusting gaze that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Kara moved deliberately, as if this man was a frightened and cornered animal, and crouched with her side to him, determined neither to appear as a threat nor a weakling. She knew that the situation was not ideal and any other person would have cowered at the sight of a strange man with, what she could barely make out in the darkness, a nasty looking bow.

T approached, his giant leggy body appearing to tower over Kara's petite frame, his large nose wiggling, taking in the smell of the stranger. The man stiffened visibly and lifted his weapon swiftly, if shakily. With a gasp, the nurse lifted her hand, palm out and said, voice unwavering, "Please don't, he won't hurt you. Neither of us will."

The man did not seem completely convinced but he lowered his weapon marginally. Kara took this as a good sign. It gave the situation a little more hope that she and T would make it out alive, maybe. She, again, moved deliberately, and grabbed the Great Dane's collar pushing him into a "down" not wanting to startle the armed and injured man with a sharp tone.

T thumped his tail happily in the grass. The easiness in which the dog took to this man was a comfort to Kara. She trusted her companion's instincts and ability to read people along with the feeling that, despite this crazy happenstance, he would not harm her. Shaking her head slightly to clear the stray thoughts, Kara turned her attention to the matter at hand.

"I only want to help you," she said, after clearing her throat, her voice steady, "I followed your blood trail-." At this the man gave a harsh intake of breath but made no further reaction. After a slight pause, Kara continued, "I'm a nurse, if you'll let me, I'll take care of your wounds."

The man's eyes narrowed suspiciously, his brows frowned. He tightened his grip on his bow. He would not just trust her words blindly. Kara knew that she would have to show him proof to gain even an inkling of his trust. Glad, for the second time that night, that she had not bothered to change from her scrubs she slowly moved her hand to her pocket.

"I'm reaching for my badge," Kara said, keeping a commentary going was a thing she did with her patients, almost automatically, so that they would know what she was doing and did not feel alienated. She had learned just what tone to use so she didn't sound like she was patronizing them. It was a skill she was grateful to have perfected, "There, see? I'm going to slide it over to you so you can see for yourself."

After sliding the badge over the grass, into the cool dirt just within his reach, she pulled her hand back and waited. He gazed at her, for a half a minute, before reaching for the plastic sheathed card. He lifted it up, trying to make out the text in the darkness while simultaneously keeping an eye on her and T.

Kara knew what he would see; a photo of her, a few years younger, with a cheeky smirk and her dark hair loose. Next to the picture was her name, her first name and the first initial of her last name in bold print followed by the two little letters RN that gave away her status. Under that was the name of her facility and the unit she worked on. Giving the information should have bothered her more than it did. She was not usually so trusting with strangers, especially armed strangers that could possibly kill her without blinking an eye. For some reason, she trusted him. Whether that was a good or bad thing had yet to be determined.

"I have a pen light, if you're having trouble seeing. It's really not made for reading but it's powerful enough to give you a better view," Kara offered, already reaching to her pocket, when he gave a swift shake of his head holding out the card for her. She moved to take it when he reached out, suddenly, and grabbed her wrist with his other hand.

She gasped and made to pull back but his grip was like steel. T was on his feet in the next instant with a deep rumbling growl that caused the man to tense but not release her wrist. Kara forced herself to take a deep breath. His grip was not painful, just strong and she noted that he had dropped his weapon. She glanced at him, ignoring but not stopping T's warning growls.

He relaxed marginally, realizing that the big spotted dog was not going to attack him, and squinted at her forearm. Kara followed his gaze. He seemed to be studying her tattoo. The bandage, that usually covered it while she was working, must have come off sometime before meeting him. The dark tribal design a harsh contrast to her pale skin. "It's a hawk."

Kara's head snapped up to look at his face in surprise. They were the first words he had spoken since she met him. His voice a smooth baritone, pleasing to the ear. The nurse in her also noted that it was slightly slurred. "Yeah, I love hawks."

This seemed to matter a great deal to him, much to Kara's confusion. He relaxed greatly and let her wrist go with an almost guilty look. He moved to hand her badge back, and she took it hesitantly, not quite as trusting as she had been before he grabbed her wrist. Slipping the badge into her pocket she glanced at him. His eyes met hers and held them. She gave a small smile, trying to reassure him with her body language.

"May I look at your wound?" Kara questioned, not quite as strongly as she had hoped. She was nothing if not persistent. She was still watching him carefully. He moved just as deliberately as she had moments ago. Slowly, not wanting to startle her more than he had, he lifted his bow and slipped it over his shoulder and made to stand.

Not wanting to be in a completely vulnerable position Kara stood as well. She reached for T's leash and guided him back away from the juniper grove and watched the man step out slowly. His movements were sluggish and strained but he stood tall and took in his surroundings. His height shocked Kara, his even six foot dwarfed her meager five foot four frame, making her feel more than inadequate.

She squinted at him the in the darkness trying to pinpoint the wound. He leaned over and showed her his bloody scalp, which explained all the blood that he had left behind. Head wounds always bled more than other wounds. Slipping a glove on she probed the wound lightly in the darkness causing him to take a hissing breath in through his teeth. Kara winced slightly at the sound. The area had a great deal of inflammation and the bleeding increased as she continued her examination, the warm blood trickled down the side of his face and dripped off of his chin to the ground below.

"I can't do much here but my house is just around the block. I can get a better look at what we are dealing with and you'll have a safe place to stay tonight. You may have a concussion," Kara said as she pulled her hand back and met his intense gaze. His face was a blank mask which unnerved her, she was a very visual person and not being able to read her patient's feelings would be a hazard. After a few beats he gave a small nod, which Kara would have missed if she hadn't been paying so much attention to him.

She put her arm around his middle and slung his arm over her shoulder. He leaned gratefully into her support. Secretly glad that he needed only a steadying hand to walk, she knew that she wouldn't be able to carry him if he collapsed, they started their journey out of the park and down the cool pavement. T followed closely behind the pair, his leash dragging on the ground after him. If any of Kara's neighbors looked out their windows just then they would easily mistake the scene for a happy, if cuddly, couple taking a late night stroll with their dog.

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**So there is chapter two! Please let me know what you think! Love it? Hate it? **


	4. Chapter Three

**Hello my lovely readers! Thank you for taking the time to read this story.**

**To my lovely reviewer ASKessler, thank you. I didn't catch that about the badge. My own badge has my first name and not my last! Oops. I went and changed that. **

**Thank you to my other reviewer Amy, and everyone who followed this story! :D**

**Another quick blurb: Hawkeye, according to the Marvel Database, is 6'3". Jeremy Renner is 5'10". So, in light of this, I decided on a happy medium and changed his height in this story to 6'. I, also, added a bit of height to Kara and made her 5'4". **

**Please enjoy the next chapter!**

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Chapter Three

Their trek was slow, but the destination wasn't far, Kara's home was down the block and two houses down. The street was almost identical to the street they had just turned from save for the park. The neighborhood was new and with a school just down the street, a very popular spot for young families. Kara had moved in almost three years prior and loved it. The neighbors were friendly and willing to keep an eye on T during her long work hours.

Reaching her house, she directed the man to her front porch and sat him down on the bench that faced the door. T followed and sat patiently at his side when Kara gave him a soft but clear command. Taking the time to close and lock the front gate meant that she wouldn't have to worry about it later and she wasn't sure how much time it would take to get her unplanned guest situated.

Just as she was turning back, a car pulled down the street, lights blinding, and pulled onto the curb, almost hitting her mailbox. Started, Kara watched as three men stepped out of the car and came towards her. The street lamp closest, illuminated her driveway and most of her front yard, gave her a good view of the men. The smallest man was pale in the lighting with dark hair and eyes, his face was clean shaven, and he oozed self-confidence with a smirk on his pleasant face. The two other men flanked him, they were bigger than him, but both wore the same dark T-shirt and slacks.

The smaller man strutted forward and calmly pulled out a badge, he was still smirking as he spoke, his voice low and smooth, "Hello, ma'am, I would like to ask you a few questions, if it's not too much trouble."

"Actually, I just got off work and I'd like to rest. How about, I take your card and call you tomorrow?" Kara replied, meeting his gaze. He was attractive in the classic tall, dark, and handsome way and if the situation had been different she would have flirted, but all she wanted was for him to leave. She glanced over her shoulder to see that her patient wasn't on the bench, where she had left him and T had broken his "sit-stay" to amble over.

"I insist," The officer said, his voice taking on an authoritative tone. His men came up around him in a manner that suggested that they were not, in fact, officers. Their body language put Kara on edge, causing her to put things together. It was odd for an officer to show up randomly and ask questions in the middle of the night, it was odd for him to be in a suit and not a uniform, and it was odd that he had two 'body guards'. Plus, the car wasn't a police car. The only proof he had shown her was a badge which she hadn't gotten a good look at and he hadn't even introduced himself.

"And I said no," Kara's tone changed to the firm voice she often used for unruly puppies, her brothers jokingly referred to it as her 'Mom voice'. Her change in attitude and tone caused T to give a low growl from deep in his chest. "I know my rights. Just because you flash a badge doesn't mean I have to listen to you."

"It seems very suspicious for a woman to be out by herself at this time of night," He persisted, reaching his hand to unlatch the gate, "Probable cause."

"Probable cause? Bringing my dog out to pee... sure," Kara mocked. T's growl turned into a bark as his lunged forward, his big jaws giving an audible _snap!_ as they closed centimeters away from the officer's hand. He had snatched it back, just in time. "Come back with a warrant or Toker will take more than just a few fingers. Now get off my property!"

His goons made to come around him but he stopped them with a flick of his wrist, "I _will_ be back." His voice had lost most of it's charm but his tone sounded like he knew a secret. Kara glared at him as he turned and moved to the passenger seat of the dark colored Camaro followed by his lackeys, one going to the drivers side and pulling the car carelessly forward to hit her mailbox and drive away.

Seething, Kara flipped off the retreating car and glared at it until it turned up another street and was out of sight. She turned back and stomped up the steps only to find her mystery patient, laying on the hardwood, palming a gun. Stepping over his prone form, she fiddled with her keys and unlocked the door. T bounded happily into the house, leaping over the man, just as he pulled himself to his knees, barely missing his head, with a misplaced back paw, causing the man to blink in shock.

Taking the hand she offered, he hefted himself the rest of the way up only to sway dangerously, again. Shaking her head, Kara grasped him around the middle once more and walked him into her house. Kicking the door closed and flipping two light switches. The slurp-slurping of T drinking water reached their ears, as they moved from the foyer into her living space. She guided him to her dark leather sofa and plopped him down before moving to gather some supplies from the first aid kit she kept in the guest bathroom.

When she returned to the room, she was surprised to find T stretched contently on the couch, his big head in the stray man's lap, tongue lolling out causing watery drool to soak into the man's dark fatigues. Her patient didn't seem to mind the attention and was absentmindedly petting the Great Dane behind his floppy spotted ears.

"He really does seem to like you," Kara commented as she set the kit down on the arm of the couch, opening it to organize the supplies, "He doesn't, usually, take to strangers so quickly, especially men."

"I've always been good with animals," He said, his smooth low voice had a calming effect and Kara was glad to have him talking more freely now, "We understand each other."

"I get that," The nurse said, taking her pen light and flashing it into his eyes. They were an incredible shade of baby blue, with flakes of gold that formed star-bursts around his pupils, that promised to suck her into their depths. Blinking, she forced herself to concentrate on his pupils rather than his irises. "I'm going to ask you a few general questions while I clean up your head, okay?"

"No problem."

"What year is it?" Kara began her questioning, careful to avoid personal questions that would reveal any information that she wasn't completely sure she wanted to know. Like his name. She would keep her distance from this strange but friendly man. Her hands worked almost automatically cleaning the head wound. It wasn't huge, only a few inches long just above his left eye. It wouldn't need stitches but the bump would need to be iced to relieve the swelling.

"2011."

"What month?"

"June."

"Who's the president?"

"Obama."

"Good. Look's like you'll have a great lump for a while and a black eye but everything else looks good," Kara said, working on putting the last of three butterfly stitches in place, "I'm not completely convinced that you don't have a concussion, though, so I would really like it if you would spend the night here tonight, just in case."

She stood and walked to the kitchen, glad for her open floor plan that allowed her to keep an eye on him, throwing away the used supplies and washing her hands before grabbing a small bag of frozen vegetables from the freezer and wrapping them in a clean dish towel before heading back into the living room. She handed the package to him and he held it to his head without prompting.

"It's completely safe," Kara started, after a few minutes of silence, "I have a pretty good security system and Toker has some protection training, he's not military level or anything but he does have a title in schutzhund. Level one is novice but he has great protective instincts and is great with bite work." Kara knew she was rambling but she couldn't help herself. Just as she was going into detail about what it takes for a dog to achieve a title in schutzhund, she was interrupted, when he asked,

"Toker?" His voice relayed his amusement at the name. The dog in question opened one dark eye, determined that he wasn't being addressed for anything important, and closed it, returning to his nap with a huge tongue curling yawn.

"I got him from a breed rescue after his previous owner had a stroke and couldn't take care of him anymore. They're really good about taking the previous owners wishes into account, especially if it's an unfortunate situation. One of the requirements of the adoption was I keep his name." Kara knew she was blushing, embarrassed over the unusual and inappropriate name, "So, I call him T for short. I think, the rescue said something about it being a Scooby Doo reference. Which, I can see in a roundabout way."

He chuckled softly, it was a pleasant sound that came from deep in his chest. The smile lit up his face, smoothing the harsh lines and Kara was astonished at the difference. His blue eyes sparkled with genuine mirth and a hint of mischief, like a boy years younger. His good humor, despite his situation, brought a smile to Kara's face for the first time since leaving work.

"Good to know," He said after calming from his laughing fit. The smile still dancing in his expressive eyes, "By the way, my name is C-"

"No!" She interrupted, her tone firmer than she intended, "Please, I don't want to know more than I have to. It could be dangerous."

The smile left his eyes as quickly as it came, his face grim with a bitter smile, "You took me in. It doesn't matter now."

"Still, the more information I know the more of a danger I will be," the nurse argued. She would have liked to call him something other than "he" but it wasn't practical, anonymity was the only thing keeping them both safe, she reasoned. If anyone asked she wouldn't be completely lying if she told them she took in a stray that night. They didn't have to know that it was a man rather than a dog.

"Come on, it's not a big deal," He argued back, his tone light, "You can't keep calling me "he". Plus, I know your name, Kara, it was on your badge and fair is fair."

"Fine," she conceded with a huff, "Fair is fair, but only your first name. Nothing more."

"Clint," his answer was quick, he extended his hand to her, with a grin.

"Nice to meet you, Clint," Kara said, with a small smile, taking his hand in her much smaller one and giving it a shake. The ease in which Clint's emotions played across his face was infectious. He had been so cold earlier but this new side of her patient was getting to Kara in a good way. It took him less than two hours after meeting her to put her at ease. It was an odd feeling, one she wasn't too sure was a good thing. Meeting his bright eyes, again, Kara's smile grew a little more. No, not a good thing at all.

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**End Notes: Remember this is happening a year ****_before _****The Avengers. Hence that date being 2011. This will continue to 2012 (story time), and after The Avengers movie. It may or may not get to 2013. I'm going with The Avengers taking place around May which is when the movie came out.**

**Let me know what you think! Love it? Hate it? **


	5. Chapter Four

**Hello my lovely readers! Sorry this took so long. With a death in the family and over all craziness it has been a tough couple of months. This is a bit rough so bare with me. **

**Thank you for the reviews! **

**And a big Thank you to my Beta and best friend, bg_flower. Who has put up with my Avengers ramblings and helped me more than she knows!**

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

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Chapter Four

It should have bothered Kara that she had a strange man in her house more than it did. The fact that her two-hundred pound fiercely protective dog had, apparently, fallen head-over-tail for him notwithstanding. She had learned early in life not to let her guard down with anyone and did not take unnecessary risks. She took in a lot of strays over the years but she had to admit this was the first time that she took in a stray quite like this.

There was just something about this man, this Clint, that drew her in, demanded her attention. She could no more leave him in that juniper grove than deny the unconditional love and trust T had bestowed upon her. The ease in which he affected her was shocking and unexpected like a whirlwind. He whooshed into her life and made everything better, brighter.

Her protective nurses instincts had flared up and would not easily be curbed which led Kara to her current situation pulling out clean linen from the closet under the stairs. She glanced once at Clint as she moved into the guest bedroom, folded towels and washcloths stacked neatly in one hand. She had given him free reign of the television remote and he seemed content to stare mindlessly into the screen. Moving to the chest of draws in the bedroom she pulled out old but clean sweat pants. Glad that her brothers had long legs and chose a threadbare wife beater to complete the ensemble instead of the light T-shirt that she doubled would contain his rather broad shoulders.

Stepping out of the bedroom she placed her bundle in the guest bathroom atop the counter. The nurse went about pulling a new bar of soap and an unopened bottle of shampoo out from under the sink. As well as a new toothbrush and toothpaste. She was glad of her mother's insistence to purchase extra items and keep them handy, just in case, she was a very practical woman. Although, Kara mused it was probably meant for any impromptu visits from her brothers and not a strange injured man she invited to stay with her. The twins loved to stop by whenever they got the chance, which was not as often as any of them liked.

Returning to the living room Kara was amused to find Clint had cued up Dog Cops from the DVR reserve. The show was her guilty pleasure and she fought the urge to become enthralled in the characters and drama. Looking away from the screen pointedly the nurse focused on Clint. He looked more relaxed than he had been only twenty minutes before, he was slumped against the leather couch half sprawled with a lazy smirk playing on the edge of his lips as his fingers absently scratched behind large spotted ears as T audibly snored.

The dark fatigues Clint wore looked ragged and dirty, his boots scuffed and caked with dried mud. His face was covered in dirt everywhere that she had not cleaned and there were dark blotches under his eyes like he had not slept in a few days. Her professional persona having eased somewhat Kara noticed for the first time just how worn down he looked. She vaguely wondered where his bow was as she said, "Everything's ready if you'd like to shower. There's a change of clothes in there, too. So, I can throw the clothes you're wearing now in the washer if you'd like."

"Couldn't wait to get me naked could you?" Clint teased. Kara could not help but smile, it was nice, she thought, that he could joke, laugh, and smile so easily when not an hour ago he was silent with an emotional less mask in place. Or maybe this was the mask? Her thoughts were interrupted when he continued, "Tell me they're not left overs from an old boyfriend? I may just have to refuse."

"My younger brother's, actually," Kara replied, "but I can't promise that they weren't left overs from an ex boyfriend."

He barked out a laugh and said, "Good to know, but a shower sounds just too good right now to pass up either way." He moved to get up, Kara focused on the overall stiffness in his movements and the way he had to regain his balance after he was upright. He would not be getting much sleep tonight either if she had any say about it. She was glad to be off that following day. T grumbled and adjusted himself with a huff. Clint whispered something to the dog as he made his way to the bathroom.

Once the door clicked shut, Kara made her way up the stairs to her room. She sighed as finally removed her scrubs and replaced them with a comfortable pair of shorts and a tank top. She sat down on her bed and her heart sank once more. The current situation was a good distraction from the emotional roller coaster she had had earlier that day. Pressing the heels of her hands to her eyes she left herself feel the emotions that she had been putting off.

Jess had passed away today. One of her favorite patients. Try as she might she was only human and it was hard not to have favorites especially when she seen them and treated them for years. Treating children with chronic and terminal illnesses etched at her soul. Every time she lost one of her patients it put more pressure on her already cracked heart. Jess had came to the hospital just before Kara had been hired. They grew together, learned together and against all her efforts she had become the little sister Kara had never had.

She pulled her legs up and hugged her knees letting tears escape that she had been holding in all day. She had Jess's crayon drawings on her refrigerator, had gotten Jess the Twilight books when she had first showed interest, and her parents had invited Kara to their vow renewal ceremony. She had gotten too deep, and she promised herself then that she would never get that deep again if she could help it. She wondered idly how long she could last, just how much more she could take on this unit.

The scrap of T's claws against her bedroom door brought her out of her miserable musing. She wiped her eyes and hoped she did not look too terrible as she opened the door and made her way down the stairs to help her most recent patient. T pressed his cold nose into the small of her back where her tank top had ridden up as he followed her causing her to jump. She smiled and paused briefly to lay her hand on his big head.

He padded to where Clint was pressing his fingers into her large fifty gallon aquarium, her betta flaring threateningly at the intruders while the school of rasboras swim back and forth near the top of the tank expecting to be fed. He was fresh out of the shower, short hair wet and dripping. The sweatpants were a few inches too short on him and road up his calves despite riding low on his hips. The threadbare wife beater was clinging to damp spots on his chest and back. Kara stared openly at the muscles in his shoulders as he moved his fingers through the water causing the betta to give chase.

He looked at her then, his blue eyes bright, an almost childlike air about him. His hand jerked as the betta took advantage of his wavered attention to nip his index finger furiously. He took his hand away with a glare at the betta who returned to his bubble nest now that the threat was taken care of. T pressed his nose to the glass causing the betta to start and dart behind the nearby driftwood. Clint padded his head with a quiet, "Good boy." In that moment, Kara knew that she made the right decision in taking in this particular stray and even though she may not be okay at that moment, she would eventually.

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**Please review and let me know what you think!**


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